Trust In The Magic
by colombe.de.pluie
Summary: Chapter 4 She Never Lets It Go to her Heart
1. Woman walks the line

Trust in the Magic  
  
Disclaimer : Stargate belongs to MGM, showtime...anyone but me.  
  
A/N : I found some help in different sites, songs or books. Thanks to their authors for their great work. I apologise for the mistakes but English is not my mother tongue.  
  
Tim McGraw : She never lets it go to her heart , When she wakes up Shania Twain (album Up) : Forever and For always, I'm jealous  
  
@ Sites : Stargatefan.com  
www.akhet.co.uk  
www.parasolemt.com  
www.paulding.gov  
  
Book: If only it were true by Marc Levy  
  
********************** Chapter 1 : Woman walks the line **********************  
  
"C'me on Carter, it's your turn now." Jack O'Neill repeated again pointing his empty bottle of beer to his 2IC.  
  
"Daniel's turn" she barely replied, focused on the billiards.  
  
She bit her lips and lifted her head triumphal.  
  
"I win... again." She grinned in front of her friends' faces. "Do I have to make that an order ?" O'Neill said trying to sound cold and detached.  
  
Though she knew better and her grin widened even more.  
  
"Beers for you two guys ?" she asked knowing that Teal'c would refused any alcohol and plus he hadn't finished to discover and study his fruit cocktail.  
  
"Take your time Carter." O'Neill told her with a grimace as she was walking towards the bar counter.  
  
As soon as she left them, Jack, Daniel and Teal'c quickly started a new party, one in which they all had their chances not like when Sam Carter was their rival...  
  
**** ****  
  
Sam stood at the counter waiting for the barman. She looked around and noticed a man who was staring at her.  
  
She can't help but closed her eyes briefly when he stood up and walked in her direction. Sam quickly looked away but it was too late.  
  
"Hey." He said as he sat on the bar pool next to her. She smiled. "Hi." "What's up ?"  
  
"Are you served ?" she heard the barman asked, blessing him silently. "Not yet, huh, three beers please." She replied.  
  
"Oh, three." The man next to her went on. "You're here with friends ?" he asked smiling even more. "Yeah."  
  
"That's fun, I'm here with two other guys too. That'd be nice if we met each other, don't you think ?" "Oh yeah, it should be." Sam smiled, finally enjoying the situation. She could just imagine the picture of the guy meeting Teal'c.  
  
"Where are they ?" the unknown guy went on.  
  
Sam turned back and pointed her friends, noticing the look on Jack's face who was staring at them while Daniel was trying desperately to make him play.  
  
Sam made a sign to them and Daniel waved back quickly. "Oh." The man chuckled. "I guess my friends won't be interested."  
  
Sam paid the barman and smiled to her new * friend *.  
  
"But", he went on, "I didn't say that I've no interests in you."  
  
"Listen." Sam replied willing to end this conversation as soon as possible. " I'm flattered but...." she paused searching for an excuse that would put a clear end to this flirt.  
  
"I'm married." She blurted out, surprising herself. "Really ?" the man asked suspicious. "I can't see any wedding ring," he added looking at her finger. "I know but if you don't believe me, you can ask him." She said pointing her friends.  
  
The man looked in the direction again and this time noticed the look on Jack's face. "I see, the man with greyish hair ?" "Exactly." Sam replied trying not to blush or laugh. She stood up and left him with a smile.  
  
She put the beers on the table and knew that the guy at the counter observed her. She didn't even know his name but she really wanted to be free this night.  
  
"Gee, Carter, when I said, "take your time", it was not an order, you didn't have to do it." Jack muttered.  
  
"Sorry sir." She said and, against all odds, kissed him on his cheek, on the corner of his mouth. "Am I forgiven ?" She whispered to a stunned O'Neill.  
  
"Huh. Sure Carter" He managed to reply as she quickly glanced to the bar, relieved to see that her admirer had disappeared.  
  
Daniel and Teal'c glanced at each other but decided to hold their tongues.  
  
"So... revenge match ?" Sam asked acting as if nothing had happened.  
  
****** ******  
  
General Hammond entered the debriefing.  
  
"At ease." He said as Carter and O'Neill stood up at his entrance.  
  
"As you know, a new member will follow you during your next mission. Each Sg team will have to form a new member who will join the Alpha site at the end of its training. I'll give you a complete file on captain Tom Archer at the end of the briefing." Hammond said as a man came into the room.  
  
"Captain Tom Archer, reported as order." The young man saluted Hammond. "At ease captain."  
  
Archer turned to salute the other officers. "Colonel O'Neill". He began interrupted by Sam who gasped realizing who he was.  
  
******************** ********************  
  
To be continued Thanks for reading 


	2. It's the biter bit

Thank you very much for the reviews.  
  
*******************  
  
Chapter 2 : It's the biter bit  
  
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Every body looked at her and Archer grimaced when he looked at her too.  
  
"You two know each other ?" Hammond asked. "No sir." Sam replied. Hey, she wasn't lying, she didn't *know* him.  
  
Archer smiled thankfully.  
  
"Major Carter." He said thinking that she'd kept her maiden name. "But you're his 2IC, aren't you...I thought that it was forbid..." "It is captain." She cut him off, swearing to never lie again like she did the previous night. "Excuse me ?" Jack asked, totally unaware of what was going on.  
  
Sam bit her lips and blushed. "I...I was thinking that it was for...midable to finally meet the famous Sg1." Archer tried to explain. "And you must be Dr Daniel Jackson." He quickly added.  
  
Daniel nodded wondering what was going on between this man and Sam. "And Teal'c. It's an honour to meet all of you." He said sincerely.  
  
They finally all left the briefing room while Daniel and O'Neill kept glancing suspiciously towards Carter and Captain Archer.  
  
As for Sam, she was thinking about how she could talk privately with Archer about what she had just told him the night before. She thought she couldn't be more damned but suddenly, had difficulties in breathing when the thought occurred to her that Archer could talk to O'Neill of their *wedding *... DAMN IT.  
  
**** ****  
  
"Captain ?", she said focusing on articulating correct words, "would you like to visit the base ?"  
  
Archer wasn't a fool and knew perfectly that she wanted to talk with him so he agreed.  
  
Daniel and O'Neill glanced at each other with a greater suspicion. "Something's going between them." Daniel stated thoughtfully. "I concur". Teal'c nodded. "Mmh..." O'Neill frowned slightly.  
  
As soon as they were out of view, Sam led Archer to her lab and closed the door behind them. She was glad that the cameras couldn't record the sound but only the images. "Captain..." she began but paused, embarrassed. What would he think if she told him that she lied only to get rid of him.  
  
"Please, ma'am, that's my fault. I apologize. I really had no ideas about who you were and that you were married.... and even more to the colonel. I didn't realize that it was a secret...that's why I...in the briefing room...I thought that..."  
  
She interrupted him.  
  
"Precisely Captain.... about that.... I lied to you." She paused waiting for his reaction but he didn't say a thing. "Look...I only tried not to hurt you so I made up this excuse." She sighed.  
  
Against all odds he smiled to her.  
  
"Ma'am, I know that you don't know me yet, but I can promise you that your secret will be safe with me. I will not reveal your relation with the colonel."  
  
Sam rolled her eyes and was to speak but he went on.  
  
"Yet, with all my due respect, I'm surprised that you haven't been discovered. I'm not a psychologist but I only needed a couple of hours and some rumors and gossips to figure out that you were...well ya know..." He stopped realizing what he'd just said.  
  
Sam was to deny but her curiosity got the better of her.  
  
"Gossips? Rumors ? What do you mean Captain ?" "Well, first..." He hadn't got the chance to continue for a knock on the lab door interrupted him.  
  
*Cliché * Sam sighed inwardly.  
  
"We'll continue that conversation later Archer but believe me Captain, I lied." Archer shook his head and repeated : "You can trust me Major."  
  
Carter tried to keep cool in front of this stubborn marine.  
  
"Come on in ! "She said. Teal'c opened the door.  
  
"MajorCarter, I was looking for CaptainArcher. GeneralHammond asked me to remind you of your check-up with DoctorFrasier in an hour."  
  
"Thank you Teal'c" Archer nodded with a smile that he hoped to be reciprocated...but Teal'c kept his stoic look.  
  
"That's okay Archer, go to your quarters and get prepared." Sam ordered thinking that she would convince him of the truth later.  
  
********* *********  
  
Sam sighed deeply. She really had getting herself into a fine mess. She held her head in her hands.  
  
"Something's wrong Carter ?" She jumped when she heard O'Neill's voice echoing in her lab. "Huh, no, I'm fine sir." She replied with a small smile. "Bad liar major."  
  
She smiled truthfully this time but said nothing. "What's wrong ?" he asked again with concern.  
  
Sam knew she *had * to tell him before Archer let it slip. Unconsciously she glanced at the cameras wondering how O'Neill would react at the news.  
  
She didn't want to be filmed if he flied into a temper. She already knew that gossips were running on both of them and she didn't need more confusion so far.  
  
Her glance didn't go unnoticed by O'Neill. "My office Carter. Mine are off most of the time." She followed him out. "But how do you..." "A technician owes me." He simply told her with a mischievous smile.  
  
*********** ***********  
  
He sat and gestured her to do so. She looked up at the camera and saw no red spot. She then looked back at him and sighed.  
  
"You remember last night ?" she asked. He sent her a look, which told her that he did.  
  
"Remember when I came back from the bar...and that guy who was chatting with me ?" "Didn't notice Carter." He lied avoiding her eyes. He picked a pen on his desk finding it suddenly really interesting. "Sir !" she groaned. "All right Carter. What about him ?"  
  
She sighed. "It was Captain Archer...sir."  
  
O'Neill stopped playing with the pen, put it down on the desk and looked up at her calmly. Too calmly.  
  
"What ?!" he asked a bit too loudly.  
  
Sam winced. "Sorry." He tried to lower his tone. "But you're telling me that the man who was staring at you all night was Archer ?!"  
  
She smiled when she recognized some jealousy in his voice and nodded. Though her smile faded away knowing she had to go on.  
  
"Well sir, he was really...huh...talkative." She explained briefly. "And I didn't know how to get rid of him."  
  
"You ?" O'Neill couldn't help but grinned facing her embarrassed look. "You ? Major of the U.S Airforce, the most brilliant scientist...you ? Didn't know how to get rid of him ? I tell ya Carter, next time just use some techno babble words and you'll *get rid of * anyone you're talking to."  
  
His smile went wider as he saw her rolling her eyes.  
  
"Don't laugh at me sir.... and not all the people hate scientists like you do, you know ?" she replied pretending to be hurt.  
  
"Well, I don't hate you Carter even if you're a scientist. All I was saying is that you could have." "Okay, sir I think I got the point." She cut him off before he said something he'd regret.  
  
He stopped secretly grateful that he didn't have to say more cause he had no idea where he was going to.  
  
"But come on Carter. It looked like you said something that made him runaway." "I did." She managed. She swallowed and breathed before she blurted out quickly : "I told him I was married."  
  
O'Neill couldn't help but smile...a smile that quickly turned into a grin...that quickly turned into a worried face.  
  
"But it's not true ? Right ? You lied ?" He asked trying to sound neutral. "Of course I lied sir." She didn't even notice his sigh of relief for she was too surprised not to be the object of his laughter again.  
  
"So well, what's the problem major ? Tell him the truth. I don't know...tell him you were a bit drunk and that you didn't know what you were saying."  
  
She frowned at this idea. How could she wait for respect from Archer if the first picture he had of her was a drunk major...  
  
She shook her head. "I told him sir...that I lied. But he didn't believe me." "Why not ?" Jack picked up the pen again.  
  
"Because...hey I don't know why. I'm not in his head !...sir." She didn't want to tell him the reason why... * Because sir...he can see that you care about me, a lot more that you're supposed to...And he can see it after only a briefing so what do the others know ?*  
  
She hardly managed to keep cool and he didn't miss it. He looked at her surprised.  
  
"'Major ?" He asked seriously. "Sorry sir." She said knowing that he didn't really mind. "But it's getting on my nerves." "Try again so...or let him believe what he wants to and he will soon realize that you're not married." "Do you really think it's a good idea sir ?" she asked, her eyes revealing the smile she was keeping back.  
  
Though O'Neill missed the look in her eyes, focused on the pen he barely replied. "I do Carter. I do."  
  
She stood up : "Thank you very much sir." "Anytime." He said glancing at her when she opened the door. "And by the way Carter." He called her back. "Yes sir ?" "Who did you say you were married to ?"  
  
She closed her eyes briefly and suppressed a giggle. She was surprised he hadn't asked before and thought she could have left safe and alive... She looked deeply into his eyes, smiled softly but didn't reply.  
  
She turned and left his office only to hear her name echoed in the corridors.  
  
She paused in her tracks and looked over her shoulder to see her C.O jogging behind her. "My office now." He breathed.  
  
*************** ***************  
  
They both sat in silence until O'Neill talked. "That's why you kissed me, right ?"  
  
She nodded and smiled shyly.  
  
"I had to prove him sir...I'm not used to.... I didn't know what to do." She admitted sounding really ridiculous but she didn't care. "And you didn't complain about it.... sir." She noticed.  
  
"Major." He said. "You're gonna find him right now. We've got to tell him the truth." He ordered. "Like it or not." He added quietly. "But sir, I already tried and he really didn't believe me."  
  
O'Neill sighed but was secretly pleased that she'd chosen him and not another one. "I wouldn't have chosen another one." She heard her own voice talking and she bit her lips.  
  
"Did I think that out loud ?" he wondered. "No but now you did." She flashed him with her smile and for a moment he'd forgotten what they were talking about. Only for a moment.  
  
"We need to tell him the truth." He sighed. "I know sir." She said and nodded.  
  
**** ****  
  
Archer knocked on O'Neill's office door.  
  
"Come on in." The colonel ordered immediately. "Colonel, Major." He saluted trying to stay relax. "Close the door captain, and have a seat." O'Neill replied.  
  
Archer did as he was told and sat next to Sam who sent him a small smile.  
  
"Major Carter told me about last night." O'Neill began.  
  
"Colonel, I'm really sorry. I didn't know she was married. And above all I didn't know who she was and that she was your wife. I really am confused and I apologize." The young captain said without breathing.  
  
"That's okay." O'Neill said gesturing him to shut up. He glanced at Sam.  
  
"Captain," she started, "I tried to explain you something before...I...well...I never thought you were a marine or I would never have told you...what I told you." She paused and nervously entwined her fingers. "What I mean is I..." she looked helplessly to O'Neill.  
  
"What the major wants to say is that our wedding is a secret Captain." O'Neill concluded before he realized what he'd just said.  
  
Archer nodded.  
  
"I promise both of you," he began, glancing at Jack and then at Sam, "that I will never mention it or reveal it to anyone. You have my word on it." He swore solemnly.  
  
"Good Captain. Because you're the only one who knows that Sam and I are married."  
  
"Colonel, you can count on me. Now if you'd excuse me, I've got to go to the infirmary." Archer said standing up at O'Neill's nod.  
  
...And behind the office door you could have seen a petite doctor rolling her eyes at what she'd just overheard, moving quickly to the infirmary.  
  
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Thanks for reading Feedback always and really appreciated  
  
[I am really sorry cause I know it must be plenty of mistakes so if someone wants to beta it.] 


	3. Just To See Your Smile

Thank you very much for the reviews and the emails!!

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Chapter 3 : Just To See Your Smile 

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Carter gazed at O'Neill.

"Why did you change your mind sir ?"

"I..." He hesitated, could he tell her that pretending to be married with her didn't bother him so far. 

"I felt pity for you." He replied with a mischievous smile.

"Thank you sir." She replied ironically but somehow relieved that he'd saved her from being humiliated.

"You owe me one Carter. A big one." He said.

"I know sir." She sighed. "I know. But , what are we going to do now ?" she asked.

"We've got a mission scheduled for tomorrow Carter. Already forgotten ?" He asked a bit surprised.

She shook her head. "I meant, about Archer sir. We'll have to tell him the truth one day or the other."

"Hey, I don't know. You've got the brains here. Not my job."

She smiled and kept silent but O'Neill knew by the look in her eyes that she'd thought of something.

"Sir... I just thought of something."

He couldn't help but was suddenly afraid to know her that well. 

Though she didn't notice his reaction.

"We could pretend that all this, was just a masquerade, a way to test his capacities to keep a secret."

O'Neill stared at her for a while and raised his eyebrows.

"Carter, he's been judged able to keep the Stargate secret. Do you really think they're gonna believe in your excuse ?" he asked in disbelief.

She frowned and thought harder.

 "We could...still say it was...to see if he could keep personal secrets, if we could trust him a friend and colleague." She tried to convince him.

O'Neill seemed thoughtful for a while before replying.

"How would you explain that you told him you were married without even knowing who he was ? He won't believe it. It won't work."

"Unless we tell him a part of the truth sir... I just need to say that I was...huh...that I said we were married without thinking of the consequences. Then we would tell him that we thought it could be the perfect test, that he would never have been able to discover it as far as I provoked it involuntarily." She concluded with a small smile.

O'Neill tried to recapitulate all she'd just said.

"Got a better idea sir ?" she interrupted him in his silent thoughts.

"I guess not." He replied giving up.

"Good." She said standing up. "Be in my lab."

"Okay." He nodded still thinking of her plan. 

She left the office but before she closed the door, looked back at her C.O.

"Sir ?" she said quietly.

"Yep ?" 

"Thank you." She flashed him her special smile.

He smiled back and she closed the door. 

*****

*****

Archer was lying in the infirmary bed, waiting for his results.

Frasier had been cleaning up her surgical instruments for the third times and he could feel that she was particularly tensed. 

The doctor couldn't believe what she had heard in O'Neill's office. Not that she wasn't happy for them, she was just disappointed that Sam didn't trust her enough to tell her the truth.

"Doctor Frasier ?" Archer made her jump slightly.

"Yes Captain ?" she asked turning back to face him.

"Something's wrong ?" he asked cautiously.

"Nothing captain." She replied.

He nodded and waited.

Janet turned again but stopped and turned back to Archer after she'd checked that no one could hear them.

"Is that true Captain ?" she asked impatiently. 

Archer surprised, looked up into her eyes.

"What, ma'am ?" 

"Come on, that the colonel and the major are, you know, married. " she added that word almost whispering.

The young captain lowered his eyes.

"I overheard your conversation in the colonel's office." Janet said as an explanation.

"Oh." He only managed.

She took it for a yes.

"I can't believe it ! I mean you're here for only two days or so, and they trust you enough to tell you that..." She stopped talking realizing that she was beginning to speak a bit too loudly. 

"Well, Major Carter told me." He corrected her thinking it'd calm her.

"I thought she was my friend." Janet said sadly.

Archer bit his lips and quickly added. "But, when she told me she had no clue that I was a marine ma'am. She thought I was a civilian she'd never see again."

Janet smiled sadly and sighed.

"She certainly didn't want to risk your career by telling you something that could result in a martial-court." He tried to comfort her.

"Do you really think so ?"

"That's what I would have done if I were in their position." He nodded.

"Well, I'm glad for them." Janet smiled happier.

"Doctor, you've got to promise that you won't reveal it to anyone." Archer said suddenly.

"Is that an order ?" Janet asked looking at him strangely.

Archer winced : "Of course not ma'am. It's just that I promised them and..."

"I was kidding captain." She cut him off, "But, I want you to be my personal informer."

Archer couldn't believe it. He'd never questioned the alien's existence or the presence of other inhabited planets but if he'd been told that the base doctor was looking for gossips and that two members of the most famous team were secretly married, he'd have never believed it. 

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To be continued

Feedback always appreciated !!


	4. She Never Lets It Go To Her Heart

Thank you guys for the reviews.

I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Let me know.

Again sorry for the mistakes !

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Chapter 4 : She Never Lets It Go To Her Heart 

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Sg1 and Captain Archer crossed the blue ripping pool to P3X 636.

Carter walked some steps forward checking her measuring device.

"I detect a source of energy over there." She pointed the East to her C.O.

"Let's go campers." O'Neill said putting his dark glasses.

O'Neill decided to open the walk. Daniel was following him.

Archer was walking by Sam's side trying to understand her explanations on the variations and fluctuations that he could see on the instrument screen.

Teal'c closed the walk, scrutinizing cautiously the surroundings.

Daniel couldn't help himself but kept glancing at Archer and Sam.

He discreetly looked at Jack, ready to find an angry colonel. Against all odds, O'Neill looked unperturbed and didn't even seem to notice the new captain. 

"Jack ?" Daniel ventured to say.

"Daniel ?" the older man replied. " What's up ?"

"You okay ?" 

"Peachy Daniel. Don't tell me you already want a break ?" Jack asked with a warning look.

Daniel chuckled and shook his head in the negative.

"What do you think of Archer ?"

Jack tried not to smile. He and Daniel had been suspected that something was up between Sam and this new captain as soon as he had walked into the briefing room. 

Though now, O'Neill knew what it was all about. Daniel didn't and it was bugging him.

"He's got a good military file." O'Neill said. "Why do you ask ?" 

Daniel didn't reply and looked back at Sam and Archer. 

He frowned. "Anyway he and Sam seem to get along pretty well." 

"Good." Jack merely replied.

"Good ?" Daniel repeated. "C'me on Jack. This is me. Daniel." 

Jack was really enjoying this walk and tried to suppress a grin.

"I mean you're not upset that they're *getting along * that well ?" the other man continued.

"Why should I be Dan ?" O'Neill asked. "She's my 2 I.C, you know that Daniel. Don't you ?"

"Jack." Daniel tried to use a warning tone only to see a grin on Jack 's lips. " Don't 2.I.C me." 

Jack glanced at Daniel and raised his eyebrows.

"Come on !" Daniel blurted out.

Sam and Archer looked up to O'Neill and Daniel. Sam smiled and looked back to her instrument.

"Don't you worry Captain." She said. "They're always like that. You'll get used to it in the end." 

He nodded and focused on the screen still paying attention to where he was walking.

"Sorry." Daniel apologized. "But don't play this game with me Jack. I know how you feel. So why are you trying to deny it and why do you seem so relaxed? There's something up and *you* know what it is all about."

"Didn't know you liked gossips." Jack teased him.

"I don't !" Daniel rolled his eyes. "I want to know why you look so confident while you usually..." Daniel stopped thinking it wouldn't be cautious to go on. 

Too late.

"I what ?!" 

"Huh, well you're always trying to take her apart from any men who are interested in her."

"I don't." Jack denied it. 

"You do."

"I don't."

"You do."

"I do."

"You don't....Damn !." Daniel gave up and shook his head.

They walked on silently until they reached the place where the energy came.

****

****

Carter and Archer began to take some samples in order to study them properly in her lab.

"Do you think that the colonel will take into account the fact that..." Archer started.

"you tried to seduce me ?" Sam smiled.

Archer nodded seriously.

"I don't think so captain. You will soon understand that Colonel O'Neill doesn't let his private life interfere in his work and that he will only judge what you do and who you are."

Archer smiled and thanked her.

"Yet Captain, you'd better focus on what you're doing now."  

"Yes ma'am." He replied.

Daniel was studying some elements of the flora and fauna he could see around him. Jack sat on a stone next to him.

"She never lets it go to her heart." Jack said all of a sudden.

Daniel looked up.

"What ?"

"What ?" Jack repeated.

"What did you just say ?" Daniel asked.

"She never lets it go to her heart."

"How do you know ?" Daniel asked glancing at Sam.

"Every where I go, they're staring at her. Every man I know they try to have her."

"I don't." Daniel denied it.

"You did Daniel. Remember when we were infested by this virus, you tried to beat me to have her."

Daniel remembered and then said: "That was years ago Jack."

"But you did."

Daniel denied this idea silently. O'Neill was just a jealous man.

"I guess I ought to be a jealous man." The colonel said with a sigh. Daniel rolled his eyes when he heard him.

*********

Archer coughed when some dust blew up from the ground.

Carter frowned when she compared the results she'd made when they first arrived on the planet and the results she now had. How could it be possible ? The atmospheric conditions had unbelievably changed since her last test. 

She raised her head and breathed some air. It had become very still and the soft wind that had been blowing had suddenly died down. 

Teal'c felt suddenly more tensed than he was usually. He looked around him, trying to catch any sight of an enemy but all he saw was the empty and quiet horizon. 

"O'Neill." He called over. 

Jack left Daniel in the middle of their conversation and went by Teal'c's side.

"Something's up Buddy ?" he asked.

"Don't you feel anything ?" Teal'c asked stoically.

O'Neill stood still for a while.

"Carter ?" He asked finally feeling the tension in the air.

Sher stood up and walked to her C.O, holding her instrument in her hand. 

"What's going on ?" O'Neill asked.

"I'm not sure sir. Look at that." She said showing him the fluctuations on the screen.

O'Neill glanced at it and then at her.

"So what ?" he asked.

"It seems that we're at the trailing edge of a thunderstorm sir." She explained briefly.

She reached another instrument from her military bag.

"What's that Carter ?" O'Neill asked.

She hesitated but replied : " A weather radar sir."

"What for ?"

"I am not absolutely sure."

"Carter ?!"

"Tornado sir." She glanced at him quickly.

"Didn't you say the planet was clear and safe ?" 

"The M.A.L.P didn't reveal any traces of abnormal activities colonel." She simply replied. "Though I think we'd better go back to home now." She added seriously.

"Daniel, Archer !" O'Neill called the two men who joined them quickly. "Back to home." He said.

"Sir ?" Archer asked knowing that something was happening. 

"Seems like Twister is still broadcasted on this planet."

"A tornado." Teal'c said flatly facing Daniel's incredulous air.

"A what ?" Daniel exclaimed.

"A  tornado means that the vortex of rapidly rotating air must be in contact with the ground. This means that to be a tornado, the swirling winds must be at the surface, capable of doing damage. If you see debris (dust and other objects swirling in the winds), it is definitely a tornado, even if there is no visible funnel cloud. If you can't see debris with a funnel cloud, then it might be a tornado but you can not be certain that it is (or is not)." Sam began to explain without hearing Daniel's claims until Jack stopped her.

"Carter !" he yelled as they were walking towards the Stargate.

She paused. 

"I know what a tornado is Sam." Daniel said softly knowing that his friend was only calming her nerves down.

"O'Neill !" Teal'c said warningly. 

They all followed his eyes to see a dust swirl coming to them. 

O'Neill winced. When a tornado is coming, you have only a short amount of time to make life-or-death decisions. Advance planning and quick response are the keys to surviving a tornado. As they hadn't planned anything, a quick response was their only key to survive.

  
  


He ran his eyes over the land and caught the sight of a cave in the distance.

"Over there !" He yelled pointing the cave to the rest of the team.

They started running behind him.

Though the tornado didn't seem to be slowing down. 

"It's not that big." O'Neill noticed as Carter was running by his side.

Still running, she glanced over her shoulder.

"Bigger is not necessarily stronger sir." She managed to explain between two breaths. 

They were near the cave but as she looked behind them again, Carter caught the sight of Archer who had just fallen on the ground, unbalanced by his rucksack and the scientific instruments he was carrying.

Sam slowed down to help him but seeing that he didn't move, retraced her steps to him.

She heard O'Neill yell her name but kneeled down next to Archer.

"Come on Captain !" She ordered.

He hardly stood up only to stare at the sight in front of his eyes.

Even Carter seemed paralyzed with fear. 

Daniel and Teal'c stopped running when they heard O'Neill screamed again.

"Carter ! Archer !"

Though none of them could hear him now. The size of the tornado had changed considerably during its lifetime. It was now bigger than what the two marines had seen before. 

Suddenly, Carter grabbed Archer's arm and began to run to their friends. In vain. 

They weren't fast enough and they could feel the wind in their hair. 

Sam looked away to her C.O who was desperately screaming her name.

O'Neill yelled her name a last time. He began to run to her but Teal'c held him back, using all his strength not to let him go.

"O'Neill !" He said loudly. "You can't do anything."

Daniel looked away and held back tears when he saw his friend and Archer dragged down into an abyss of dust and sand. 

O'Neill gasped and fell on his knees. Only Teal'c seemed to have still some remnants of conscience. He grabbed Daniel's arm.

"DanielJackson. We've got to runaway."'

Daniel nodded absently. 

Teal'c helped O'Neill to stand up and the three men ran away from the tornado.

They managed to enter the cave. They looked over their shoulders to see the hurricane coming to them.

Though it suddenly disappeared in front of the cave.

They stayed stunned and silent for a while which seemed to be an eternity.

"What the hell happened ?!" Jack was the first one who broke the silence.

"I do not know O'Neill."

Daniel was too surprised and shocked to reply. He just coughed and adjusted his glasses.

O'Neill made a step forward looking in the emptiness. They'd disappeared in front of his eyes and he hadn't been able to help them in anyway. 

They were dead by his fault. He should have seen Archer falling, he should have returned to help him and not let Carter.

"Don't blame yourself Jack." Daniel said knowing the look on his friend's face.

"It is not your fault." Teal'c added.

Jack turned brusquely ready to fly into a temper but when he saw the tears in Daniel's eyes and the sorrow that Teal'c's face revealed, he swallowed his eager back. 

He closed his eyes, not knowing what to do at this point of this mission. 

At this point of his life.

They remained where they were, each of them fixing an invisible point in the horizon. They kept silent, all hearing the echo of Jack 's helpless scream when they had last seen their friends.

"We should verify that the gate is still up." O'Neill broke the silence. 

No one replied but they agreed silently by following him.

They saw the Stargate standing with no traces of any damages. As a matter of fact, no trace of a tornado was visible. Though they didn't need to see anything to remember the tragedy they'd just lived.

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To be continued

Feedbacks always and really appreciated !!!


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